Synagoge Buttenheim, Jewish synagogue in Buttenheim, Germany
Synagoge Buttenheim was a complex in Buttenheim with a prayer hall, guest rooms for traveling Jews, and a school for children. The entire compound relied on water from the Deichselbach stream, which fed both the buildings and the ritual bath used for purification.
The Jewish community of Buttenheim built their synagogue in 1740 near the Lower Castle. The building remained active until the early 1890s when the congregation dissolved.
The prayer hall featured a Torah shrine decorated with Corinthian columns in Rococo style, reflecting the tastes of 18th-century German Jewish communities. This ornate design showed how the local congregation valued both their religious traditions and the artistic styles of their time.
The site is located in a small village, so it is best explored on foot while taking time to see the surrounding neighborhood. Today the building is no longer in religious use, but the exterior can still be viewed, and visitors should check in advance for any organized tours or seasonal access opportunities.
The complex had a clever water system where a side branch of the nearby stream fed the ritual bath separately from the main water supply used for daily household needs. This thoughtful design shows how carefully the builders planned the building's infrastructure.
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